THIRTY-SIXTH ANNUAL CONVENTION. 21 



Wednesday Afternoon, January 19 



The meeting was called to order by the Chairman and open- 

 ed with a character song by Misses Agnes Smith and Celia 

 Chandler and Messrs. Ray Conrad and Glen Pfeifer. 



Chairman : We are much indebted to the quartette, who 

 have so well entertained us. 



I find we will have to make a little change on the program. 

 Mr. Hepburn will postpone his address until tomorrow and Mr. 

 Helmer Rabild of the U. S. Department of Agriculture will take 

 his place. I take great pleasure in introducing Mr. Rabild. 



COW TEST ASSOCIATIONS. 

 By 

 Helmer Rabild, Dairy Division U. S. Department of Agriculture. 



Mr. Rabild : After the introduction by your Chairman, I 

 know you expected to hear from a professional. I am a for- 

 eigner and I am proud of it and I hope I will succeed in telling 

 you something that may be of interest to you. 



Immediately after the disastrous war of 1864 when Den- 

 mark lost its dearest possession, Schleswick-Holstein, a numbness 

 seemed to overcome everybody. The blow had been so over- 

 whelming that it seemed almost impossible to recover from it. 

 It was not enough that the war had ended, the cost was still to 

 be paid, and the country was almost devoid of natural resources. 

 There were no woods or mines, and little industrial activity. It 

 became necessary to levy heavy taxes, and the burden of these 

 naturally fell on the only producing resource, the soil. In addi- 

 tion thereto, much of the best soil was in the hands of large 

 land-owners, who enjoyed special privileges with regard to taxes. 



